For Immediate Release Meeting Pope Francis' Challenge

Pope Francis’ challenge to Americans and to people everywhere to lift up the poor and the infirm and take care of the Earth is consistent with the best traditions of every religion and every society, particularly our own, Common Cause President Miles Rapoport said today.

“So as the Pope visits this week, perhaps Americans should ask ourselves what keeps us today from meeting the challenge of people living on the margins of society. Why has such a large gap – the largest since the Great Depression -- opened between the wealthiest Americans and the rest of us? Why are we lagging in responding to the threat of climate change? Why does our government so often seem unable to function?

“The answer at the center of these separate threads of inequality is the disproportionate and corrosive influence of money in our politics. As long as a tiny sliver of Americans can drown out the voices of the middle class and the poor, as long as the sources of hundreds of millions of dollars being invested in our elections remain hidden, we will continue to fall short of our ideals.

“I hope Pope Francis inspires all Americans to ask the right questions, and then motivates us to come together, work for solutions, and preserve our democracy.”

Common Cause is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.